1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving apparatus using a bimetal section or a thermal expansive member which expands and contracts and moves by a temperature difference and more specifically to a driving apparatus by a high-temperature section and a low-temperature section provided on both sides of the bimetal section or the thermal expansive member so as to transform the reciprocating motion into a rotary motion.
2. Prior Art
Hitherto, gasoline engines and diesel engines have been mainly used for cars, emergency power sources and others as an internal combustion engine for taking out rotary motion; and there are steam engines, stirling engines and others as an external combustion engine.
However, because the internal combustion engine uses fuel such as gasoline and gas oil, it has been a factor of contaminating the global environment. Meanwhile, although the external combustion engine uses natural thermal energy such as sun-light and may be gentle for the global environment, the steam engine is insufficient and is difficult to be miniaturized. The stirling engines hardly move unless there is a big temperature difference, and their cylinder closing structures are complicated.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a driving apparatus that utilizes a bimetal or a thermal expansion member wherein the bimetal or the thermal expansion member is interposed between a high-temperature section and a low-temperature section, and a link section is attached to the bimetal or the thermal expansion member which makes reciprocating motions to take out an energy as a rotary motion by the link section using a rotary driving section.
In particular, the driving apparatus utilizing thermal expansion/contraction of the present invention comprises a high-temperature section; a low-temperature section facing to the high-temperature section with a certain gap there-between; a bimetal interposed between the high-temperature section and the low-temperature section by fixing at least a part thereof in the gap section; a link section attached to a movable portion of the bimetal section; and a rotary driving section connected to the link section.
Another driving apparatus utilizing thermal expansion and contraction of the present invention comprises a high-temperature section; a low-temperature section facing the high-temperature section with the certain gap; a thermal expansive member interposed between the high-temperature section and the low-temperature section while fixing both edges or peripheral parts thereof in the longitudinal direction to the gap section; a link section attached to the movable portion of the thermal expansive mamba; and a rotary driving section connected to the link section.